Recipe please

[XLF30]

I'm looking for two good proven recipes (by people who use them...I've got books) for a .308 AR-style rifle with a 16-18 inch barrel. The first would be for non-accuracy work with a 150 grain bullet. The second would be for accuracy work with a 168 or 178 grain bullet. 1:10 twist. I have 748 and Varget on hand but I can buy other powders (at least I can today...don't know about next week). Thanks

[pmclaine]

Ive been working on this myself.

Not finding much luck with 155 Palmas, Found that heavier loads, what would be medium bolt gun loads, will blow primers.

168 seems to be the round for me in my LMT 1/10 chrome lined, 16 inch.

Some of my testing here....

http://www.m40rifle.com/forum/armory/ammo-reloading/7591-now-for-the-308-ar

[XLF30]

pm, that looks like a nice New England (or at least NE) landscape. You're using 4064, is that right? IMR or??? I think there are 3 different 4064s, not all the same. Would like info on that shellcatcher please. Thanks.

[pmclaine]

IMR 4064 and the location is Massachusetts sir, good eye.

and the brass catch is found here

http://www.tacticalbrassrecovery.com/

Very happy with that brass catch, especially when the snow is on the ground.

[Jim in Salt Lake]

I would stay away from those 155gr Palma bullets with a ten twist barrel. As you found, the 168s and up work better with that twist rate. Most Palma shooters use 12 or 13 twist barrels with 155s. The reason Palma loads are so hot is that they're trying to keep the bullet supersonic at a thousand yards. That's a lot easier to do with the bigger bullets, the Palma rules specify 155s to make it hard in my opinion. If I got an AR10, I'd go looking at M1A/M14 loads that were used before the AR took over Service Rifle competition. I used to shoot 168s over 40.5 gr of IMR 4895. Loads of IMR 4064 or Varget would work just as well, too, all are great powders.

[Fred Pillot]

In my Match Garand IMR 4064 w/168 gr bullet is great. But I had trouble getting a good load with my Savage 12BVSS in 308. Just because I had no other ideas I decided to try IMR 3031 with 168 gr Sierras. I was surprised as heck that that did the trick.

[Kurt]

I would stay away from those 155gr Palma bullets with a ten twist barrel. As you found, the 168s and up work better with that twist rate. Most Palma shooters use 12 or 13 twist barrels with 155s. The reason Palma loads are so hot is that they're trying to keep the bullet supersonic at a thousand yards. That's a lot easier to do with the bigger bullets, the Palma rules specify 155s to make it hard in my opinion. If I got an AR10, I'd go looking at M1A/M14 loads that were used before the AR took over Service Rifle competition. I used to shoot 168s over 40.5 gr of IMR 4895. Loads of IMR 4064 or Varget would work just as well, too, all are great powders.

I have a target rifle I made out of a 1903A3 with a McGowen heavy 1/10 twist 26" 30-06 chambering. It shoots the 150 Sierra and 155 Palma's to a 1/4" at 112 yards. That's using Varget, 47 gr. I also shoot a Hornady 125 Gr. SST using Imr 4064, 48 gr. and those will do 3/16" 5 shot groups at 112 yards. I'm a little puzzled those wouldn't shoot rather well in .308. Lately I'm working on the upper end with the 175 and 178's and getting 3/8 to a 1/2 with those using 46.4 gr again, Imr 4064. Seems odd that this rifle likes both ends and almost equally well. Longer distances I haven't tried yet as our local range is limited to the 112. There is one up the highway and I'll take a couple trips up there this summer and see how it does out to 300. I'm also in the process of making another target rifle out of a SC in .308 so looking forward to that.

[Darreld Walton]

I use 168 A Max over Varget in new Prvi primed cases to make little teeny groups in a 1-10 twist, 26" heavy .308 bolt gun with 6-24X Burris Black Diamond. Use Hornady data to give 2600-2650 or so fps.
For "blowing up the hillside" rounds, I use 150 fmj flat base over H4985 in LC cases to give 2700 fps. Not a barn-burner by any stretch, and in my rifle, gives "normal" pressure signs on case and primer.
For "fun", I like to load Speer 130 HP (the one with the great big hole that you can drive yer pickup into and spend the night) over 45 gr. IMR 4895 in LC cases. This load, in my old Belgian Browning BLR makes little groups, and turns prairie dogs and great hoary marmots into "red mist" out to (paced) 450 yards. A LOT of fun in this round!

[Kurt]

Darreld, what's your .308? I'm in the process of getting parts and pieces for a couple builds in .308. These will go to the boys one day. My brother has a Savage HB, off the shelf and he's getting there with it. I don't care for the synthetic stocks so I'm working on a couple wooden ones that need a whole lot of inletting. Getting there.

[Darreld Walton]

Darreld, what's your .308? I'm in the process of getting parts and pieces for a couple builds in .308. These will go to the boys one day. My brother has a Savage HB, off the shelf and he's getting there with it. I don't care for the synthetic stocks so I'm working on a couple wooden ones that need a whole lot of inletting. Getting there.

Mine is a Marlin X7VH that I picked up a couple of years back for 'around' $275 in a FTF deal with a feller. CDNN has 243, 7-08 and 308 'sporter' weight barreled rifles in synthetic stocks for $249, plus shipping. I bought a "compact" .243 with the short buttstock, and a 22" sporter weight 308. I believe they're still listed there, but you've gotta put 'em in the search block to find them there.
Apparently, Remington decided to drop the line, and I haven't seen them cataloged by Marlin for a couple of years now.
I've read, on several forums, that guys are using the pre-threaded/chambered barrels intended for the Savage 110 series rifles, on these Marlins. Some mention having to do some minor bolt or chamber mods, but the dimensions are apparently otherwise the same between the two model/brands.
The Marlins also come with a one-piece Weaver-style, slotted scope base installed, and the receiver contour allows any base made for a Winchester M70 to be installed.
These rifles come with a very nice adjustable trigger installed, with instructions on how to adjust pull weight down to "around" 2 lbs. I lightened mine considerably, and there is no discernible take-up, or overtravel that I can feel in use.
Boyd's also still makes walnut, and laminated stocks for these in a few styles, and my 'heavy' is getting on of their laminated thumbhole 'varmint' types soon.....

[Griff Murphey]

In the powder shortage craziness some of the only powder I could find was IMR 4064. Now that was a real popular powder in the 60's but I never had used any of it. I have had great results with pulled 173 gr. USGI pulled match bullets and 38.5 gr. 4064 in M-1A and 7.62 M-1 rifles. Accuracy is on a par with Black Hills match.